Rest For The Weary
by Lunawerewolfy
Summary: Nico has never been able to sleep well and in a restless daze he ends up in the Hypnos Cabin. Can he finally get some sleep?


It wasn't that he wasn't tired. Exhaustion was iron chains around his wrists and a black fog around his head. Fatigue dragged at his ankles and sloped his back. He was dead on his feet (if you'll excuse the pun.) No, he was tired. He just couldn't sleep.

Whenever he went to, he just lay with his eyes open. The Hades cabin hardly lulled him to sleep, it stunk of death and the poised skeletons and the black theme didn't exactly help a lot in that respect. And as for other places, well, even accidental trips to china weren't restful ones as well. And the underworld... did he even need to mention the fact that all the stories went that children who fell asleep and never woke up there. Sure, they were rumours, but so were myths and they had a surprising accuracy about them.

So when he drifted towards the Hypnos cabin, nobody was surprised. A couple of people even cursed and exchanged money.

He had been going somewhere at the time, perhaps the fire, more likely the woods, but the cabin's restfulness stopped him.

Nico'd felt the peace of the Cabin before, but he'd been stronger, less tired then. He'd been able to resist it, like he'd resisted Aphrodite's Cabin's awe and Ares' anger.

The truth was, he'd never really been prone to anger, and his sort of love sat like a stone in his heart that occasionally prickled uncomfortably if called on.

But he'd always been tired.

He moved through the door like a marionette, weak at the knees and pulled forwards. The cabin seemed untouched by everything. Worries and troubles and fear and life just flowed over and around it. The beds were like heaven and the air smelt like pancakes and warm bread.

He was asleep before he hit the bed.

0000

It was dreamless, cushioned, restful sleep, which was probably the most amazing thing he could have hoped for. He worried all the prophecies of doom and the visions of futures and pasts and presents would overload his dreams and burn into his soul.

But he woke slowly from nothing.

Everything in the cabin was white and soft, with no edges and lines only smooth shades and blends. A bunch of other campers were tucked neatly away in their beds and slept soundly, even though the midday suns spilled like paint through the open door.

There was a kid, at the end of his bed, fast asleep with his head on his knees. He was huddled in the corner of the bed, his hair a brown fuzz of a bed-head and his mouth lolling open. It seemed a weird place to—ah.

Nico pulled himself from under the heavy covers and crossed his legs. He wasn't really tired anymore, more like... relaxed. He vaguely remembered the kid from what camp fires he actually went to, although he'd never stuck around long enough to talk to him.

Nico took the kid's shoulders and shook him gently. Somewhat reluctantly, the son of Hypnos opened his large, baby-cow-like eyes and let out something between a sigh and a yawn.

"Hey, hey," Nico said softly, "Sorry I slept in your bed."

The kid smiled brightly and shrugged. Not lazily, more... languid. "I don't mind, uh, I can sleep anywhere. It's a gift. You can sleep here if you want to, anytime."

Nico looked at him, surprised. It was an awfully kind and sudden offer to someone he didn't even know, especially a Hades' kid. He studied the guy's face, but he couldn't see anything except a sort of bleary, relaxed just-woken-up smile. Nico shook his head cautiously, swinging his legs around the edge of the bed. "No, thanks. I'll just sleep in Hades' cabin."

The kid shrugged. "M'Clovis."

Nico pressed the soles of his feet to the cold wood. "I'm... Nico."

"Nice-to-meet-you, Nico." The kid said very quickly, like a reflex.

Nico smiled the tiniest of bits. It was all just so... cut off, liberated, free, normal, so _something_ that he found it difficult to be on guard. He felt at home, or at least, at rest. He sat there, with his feet on the ground, not finding it in himself to get up.

He sat on the bed in silence, warm and content. The Clovis guy had fallen asleep and was snoring softly against the wall, his legs splayed out at odd angles, and his head was bowed. It didn't look comfortable, but the guy didn't seem to mind.

Nico stretched his legs. The air was, if not cold, certainly cool, but not in the least bit unwelcome.

He stood then, slowly, and a little reluctantly, and padded out barefoot onto the grass.

Nico'd have to find his shoes eventually, but for now he didn't mind.

0000

Nico did not make social calls.

So this was an exception. It wasn't really a social call anyway, more of a... meaningful visit; a visit as a means to an end. He was only visiting... to use Hypnos Cabin's spare bed and not for the company.

And if Clovis made him smirk uncontrollably with the way he pulled such dopy faces and fell asleep in such awkward positions, that was just... another plus.

It wasn't essential.

0000

There was a cake too, which Clovis made. Sloppy, an odd shape, but delicious and went down very well. Even if Nico didn't like sweet things.

0000

Chiron noticed it first, even if he didn't do anything except a sideways glance. His sticky-up black hair cast odd shadows across his eyes anyway, and it was what people expected anyway, so you could look right at him and not notice. It took a long, hard, calculative look; which unfortunately Chiron had down to pat.

He glanced again and raised an eyebrow. "You're looking better."

Nico shifted awkwardly. "Yeah."

"You've been spending nights at Hypnos Cabin, huh?"

Nico nodded. "Mmm." He piled some more food onto an already sagging paper plate.

Chiron smiled that annoyingly motherly smile. "I was wondering if you would do something for me?"

Nico glanced at him, surprised. "What did you want?"

"It's not a quest, more of an errand, really. I didn't want to announce it publicly—I need it done quickly and quietly." Chiron smiled, "I want Percy to settle down, and he needs a break from things."

Nico sighed. "Ok. What do you want me to do?"

0000

Nico groaned, scrabbling for purchase. His shoes were long gone and his toes and fingers ached and burned from the grit and sharp rocks the near sheer cliff offered. He tried to lift his leg up, but he couldn't find a foothold and he didn't want to look down as another wave of nausea rocked through his stomach. His arms burned and complained as he reached for another crack.

 _Hello._

Nico jolted, trying desperately to locate the voice, gripping the cliff closer. His heart beat painfully heavily in his chest. "Where—where are you?" he growled.

 _Cabin 15._

Nico squinted. It did sound familiar. Cabin 15... The voice... it couldn't... "Clovis?"

 _Hi._

Now he'd calmed down, took a few deep breaths, he squinted and moved a leaden arm up and dug his fingers into sandy, dry earth. He heaved himself up, and coughed his throat raw and dry. "Well," he sighed a sigh that became a ragged pant, "You choose your moments."

 _Yeah, with care._

Nico let out a breathless laugh, dragging himself up a few metres. "That sounds vaguely omi..." he took a breath, "omi...omi..."

 _Ominous._

"Thanks." Nico growled. The cliff edge was in sight, almost silhouette in the dawn. God, morning already. Some sort of spell had stopped him from shadow-travelling for a bit and it had seemed like a small price to pay. Ha.

Nico curled his hand around a dip just above his head but he couldn't find it in himself to move. "Why are you here anyway."

 _Oh I'm just..._

Clovis's voice was vaguely musical, with a lift at the end of each sentence as if he were about to burst into song.

 _Distracting you._

"Wha—"

Pandemonium erupted.

The cliff shook and shivered and shuddered, rocks burst and rained down, Nico brought an arm up to shield his face and his other hand slipped.

He dropped and scrambled for the cliff, hand snagging the branch of a weedy tree that was uprooted and sent him tumbling further into thin air.

He fell against the rocks and caught a hold, swinging against the cliff like a ragdoll. He breathed heavily, every part of him ached. Trembling and tiredness gritting his eyes, he pulled himself up. "Whai—what i-in _god's name_ did you, did you—"

 _Are you alright!?_

"J-ju-jus... jus' p-peachy." Nico growled.

 _Sorry._

"No, bu-... but, wh-why would you...?" Nico sighed, resting as best he could, shifting his weigh from his hands to his toes.

 _I'm really sorry._

"W-why...?"

 _It was a joke. Gods, I'm so sorry. Really, I am. I didn't—_

"Y-y-you're a id-idiot, I s-swear..." Nico grunted as he heaved his foot up. "I-I... Gods, I'm t-...tired."

 _Look— I think I can help._

"N-no, no you couldn't."

 _I-I could try._

"G-gods, Cl-clovis... ok."

 _I can refresh your energy. Won't take a moment, but..._

"But?" Nico deadpanned.

 _It'll... It'll shorten my lifespan._

Nico ground his fingertips into the grainy rock. " _What_."

 _No—No, Nico, hear me out. There's a Cyclops or two on the top of that cliff. That's what the shaking is I think, one sec, I'll check..._

 _Yeah, Cyclops. Four. You're too tired to fight them and anyone who goes to help you won't get there in time. Can't shadow-travel. Plus, it'll only be, what? Three, four years?_

"No. Shut-up." Nico hissed. "You-You're not! No! D-don't!"

Clovis's voice retracted from inside his head, and pulled away completely. Nico ground his teeth with nerves.

Power flooded his senses and hummed through his body. It felt like the weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His vision was brightened and he saw clearer than he ever had before. The pain dissolved from his limbs and his skin knitted itself together. The hunger in his stomach vanished, his eyes widened and his throat cooled. It was like a shot of ambrosia mixed with steroids. He could run a marathon.

"God _damn it_ you pig-headed, self destructive _idiot!_ " Nico roared, shadow-travelling to camp.

He started charging towards Cabin 15 before even the thickest shadows had slipped away into the grass, anger rising in his chest. People scattered like animals from a forest fire, cast asunder by his flaming gaze. Chiron tried to talk to him, but he darted aside, breaking into a run.

He slammed open the door to the cabin, wood smashing against stone, sleeping campers stirring at the noise.

"Clovis!" Nico snapped.

The camper's bleary eyes took a moment to focus on him. They were the same chocolatey brown like warm cocoa, his hair still curled up at the bottom of his neck. But his face was thinner, baby fat disappeared. His shoulders were slightly broader. He was older.

Nico sat down awkwardly on the soft bed, glaring at him. Already he could feel the cabin's power sucking at his anger, calming his heart, but he kept his fury close, black and ugly.

Clovis smiled, dopily, and it was hard to stay mad.

Nico's glare loosened. "You're an idiot, you know that? Just another fucking stupid self-sacrificing hero."

Clovis hummed agreement, his eyes drifting shut.

"Promise me you won't do that again, Clovis." Nico pushed.

Clovis made a non-committal hum. One eye slid open.

Nico glared. "Promise."

Clovis lifted up the heavy blanket, temptingly.

Nico huffed in defeat, sliding in next to him, feeling restfulness wash over him like warm water, soft and comforting. "...Promise..." He mumbled into the thick curls.

Clovis grumbled sleepily. "I promise."


End file.
